Study Demonstrates Link Between Autism and Rainy Climates

By Aaron Poehler

Published on November 04, 2008

According to the results of a new study published in this month's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, children who live in areas with high precipitation appear to demonstrate higher rates of autism.

The study's lead author, Cornell University economist Michael Waldman, was prompted to investigate a possible link between precipitation levels and incidence of autism by a 2003 U.S. Department of Education survey which showed Massachusetts, Minnesota, Indiana, Maine, and Oregon had the highest autism rates.

The new study gathered data from Washington, Oregon, and California and plotted autism rates from 1987 to 1999 against precipitation reports for the same period. The data analysis suggested that counties in each of the three states with higher precipitation levels also had higher rates of autism.

Waldman and other scientists involved with the study speculated that the correlation may possibly be due to environmental pollutants carried within the precipitation triggering autism in genetically susceptible children. Other potential explanations include the possibility that activities common during rainy periods such as watching television may contribute to the development of autism, or that factors such as increased exposure to household chemicals or decreased levels of vitamin D may trigger the condition.

According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, approximately one in every 150 children has been diagnosed with autism or autism-related disorders.

 

Comment on this article →